Like Likes Like

BookPage review by Farrar Richardson

Sometimes finding a companion is all it takes to make one feel lucky, especially in the world of small children. For many, making a friend can be the most important and intimidating of life's experiences.

In his latest picture book, Like Likes Like, Chris Raschka holds this theme in high regard as he continues to promote and celebrate the importance and joy of discovering friendship. Young children will relate on many levels to the white kitty in the story, who feels unlucky as he looks at other animals traveling in pairs. Oh, how he yearns for someone to join him on his journey through "rows and rows of roses." Though Raschka's landscapes are bountiful enough for an adventurous cat, this feline is unfulfilled as he travels the "grass and moss" alone. Readers will delight as "like" finds "like" (another cat).

Those unfamiliar with the work of Chris Raschka are in for a treat as they view the art within this book. The illustrations, created with oil pastels and watercolor, are charged with energy and brilliance. Chris Raschka's limited number of words per page and use of enlarged and bold type make this book an accessible choice for early readers. His manipulation of word and sound provides learning opportunities for those beginning to put letters and sounds together.

With Like Likes Like, Chris Raschka continues to fill an important role in the community of children's literature. By reworking and developing an essential theme, he emphasizes, through the use of imaginative language and illustration, the value of connecting with others.